Dobos

Cake Preheat oven to 400F. 1. Beat egg whites and ¾ C confectioners sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside. 2. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and ¾ C confectioners sugar until frothy. 3. Add vanilla sugar, 2 squeezes of fresh lemon juice, and 2 T of water to egg yolk mixture. Stir until combined. Stir in flour. 4. Fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture. 5. Using an 8 cake pan as a template, trace 6 circles onto parchment paper with a pencil. 6. Spread 1/6 of cake batter (~3.5 oz) onto each circle. Use a spatula to make the layers as even as possible. 7. Bake each layer for 8-10 minutes at 400F or until the edges turn golden brown. 8. Remove cake layers immediately from parchment paper using a thin metal spatula. Cool on wire rack. Chocolate Custard Cream 1. Stir the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, or 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. In a slow, steady stream, pour the hot syrup into the eggs, beating continuously as you pour. (Do not let the syrup touch the beaters or it will spin into threads.) Continue beating until the mixture thickens and cools to room temperature, about 10 minutes. 3. If sugar has crystallized and hardened on the side of the bowl, gently pour mixture into clean bowl without scraping crystallized sugar into new bowl. 4. Into egg yolk mixture, beat in butter and shortening ½ cup at a time, until combined. Gradually beat in the cocoa powder. Blend in the vanilla, salt, and rum/kirsch if using. Do not add the rum/kirsch too quickly or the custard cream may curdle. Chill until of spreading consistency, at least 1 hour or up to 1 week. If the custard cream firms too much, return to room temperature before using, about 1 hour. For best results re-beat briefly before use. Glaze: 1. Reserve the best cake layer for glazing. Cut the layer into 8 equal portions and space on a temperature resistant cutting board. Leave at least an inch of space between each piece. 2. Place the sugar, lemon juice and water in a small pot. Over medium to medium-high heat, cook until the caramel is an amber color. Do not stir while cooking. If sugar crystals form on sides of pot use a water dampened brush to brush down edges. 3. Immediately pour caramel over each cake piece. Cover the pieces evenly but try to avoid puddles of caramel on the side of each piece. 4. Wait for the caramel to harden to a lollipop-like brittleness. Using a sharp knife cut/break off any excess caramel from the side of each cake piece. Assembly: 1. Reserve caramel glazed cake pieces for top of cake. 2. Stack cake by adding 1/6 of chocolate custard cream in between each of 5 layers. 3. Use the remaining portion of custard cream to frost the sides of the cake. 4. Decorate sides of cake with crushed almonds, hazelnuts, or shortbread cookies. 5. Gently place glazed cake layer pieces on top of cake. 6. Refrigerate until serving.